These homes are part of a plan approved 2 months ago to grow settlements by more than 5,500 homes.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution in December 2016 condemning Israeli settlements constructed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal.

These territories, occupied by the Israeli military since 1967, are located where Palestinians plan to create their future state.

UNSC Resolution 2334 was passed after the US abstained from voting.

UN was the first to protest against the new settlement. While the Obama administration was a fierce critic of the Netanyahu government, a regime change with Trump marks new realities for Israel and Palestine.

2) What low did growth of 8 core sectors of the country slip to in Feb 2017?

Explanation: RBI will open a separate enforcement department from April 3 to oversee possible breaches of rules and take punitive actions against those who violate them.

The Enforcement Department shall, inter alia, develop a broad policy for enforcement and initiate enforcement action against the regulated entities for violation consistent with such policy.

The department proposed to be opened on April 3 would serve as a centralised wing to deal with banks only for enforcement action.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reported that the net profit/loss, profit after tax (PAT) of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) declined to INR (-)17,993 crore during 2015-16 from INR 37,823 crore in 2014-15 and INR 37,019 crore in 2013-14.

At the same time PAT of private banks increased from INR 33,661 crore during 2013-14 to INR 38,735 crore in 2014-15 and further to INR 41,314 crore during 2015-16.

PAT of PSBs stood at Rs (-)1,678 crore for the period April- December, 2016 while it was INR 31,262 crore for the same period for private sector.

RBI has informed that as part of the package of measures announced on August 25, 2016 for development of fixed income and currency markets, in connection with developing the market for rupee denominated bonds overseas, it has been decided to permit banks to issue Perpetual Debt Instruments (PDI) qualifying for inclusion as Additional Tier 1 capital and debt capital instruments.

It was also decided to allow banks to issue rupee denominated bonds overseas under the extant framework of incentivising issuance of long term bonds by banks for financing infrastructure and affordable housing.

The RBI has also taken various measures to deepen the corporate bond market.

Explanation: Japan has committed an "official development assistance" of 371.345 billion yen (about Rs 21,590 crore) under 2016-2017 for various infrastructure projects, including the dedicated freight corridor, in India.

Total commitment of JICA ODA during two financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17 is 761.40 billion yen, which is 43.50 per cent of the total target for five years, it said.

For FY 2016-17, the ODA loan assistance has been committed to several projects including:

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), a State Government entity, has been allowed to borrow directly from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project.

The estimated project cost for Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) is INR.17,854 crore, out of which JICA loan portion is expected to be INR 15,109 crore.

India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958.

In the last few years, the economic partnership between India and Japan has steadily progressed, I.

6) Where has the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers welfare launched an ICFMD?

It is built at a cost of INR 200 crore at Arugul on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

The one-of-its-kind research centre in South Asia, will help analyse exotic virus strains in order to develop diagnostics and vaccines to prevent their incursion.

Development and upliftment of farmers, who are backbone of the country, is the first priority of the government and the aim is to double the income of farmers by 2022.

As foot and mouth diseases an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids, such a research centre will be beneficial to find out the remedies for the disease.

This is 10th in the world and it is dedicated to the nation on the occasion of Utkal Divas, the formation day of Odisha.

Established by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the state-of-the-art research centre with high containment laboratory facility will cater to the need of researchers and scientists for safe handling of FMD virus as per international norms.

Though 70 countries have eradicated the disease successfully, it is still endemic in India and has a direct bearing on the rural economy and farmers who depend on the cattle for eke out their living.

Stating that India is number one in milk production in the world, production will increase further and the loss of nearly INR 23,000 crore per annum will be prevented if the disease is controlled and eliminated.

The government will provide Rs 600 crore more to the centre for equipment and research.

The economic losses caused by the disease are mainly due to the loss in milk production and reduction in the working ability of the animals.

Export is hampered because countries free from the disease refuse to accept milk and its products, meat and hide from the country.

7) Where has BHEL commissioned an 800 MW supercritical thermal power plant?

It has supplied all the critical equipment like boiler, turbine and generators, electrical, key packages of balance of plant, and also carried out the associated civil works.

The major equipment for the project has been manufactured by BHEL at its Haridwar, Trichy, Bhopal, Ranipet, Hyderabad, Jhansi, Thirumayam and Bengaluru plants.

The construction of the plant was undertaken by the company’s Power Sector - Southern Region.

BHEL has supplied and executed 4,010 MW of coal based sets for KPCL and its joint ventures, which accounts for 95 per cent of the utility’s coal-based installed capacity.

It is also presently executing KPCL’s first gas-based combined cycle power project of 370 MW capacity involving a fuel-efficient advanced-class gas turbine at Yelahanka, Bengaluru.

About BHEL

The company is the market leader in both the subcritical as well as the supercritical segments in the country.

The company has secured orders for 48 supercritical Steam Generators (SG) and 41 supercritical Steam Turbine Generators (STG) – the highest in the country by any power equipment manufacturer. Of these, 12 SG and STG have already achieved capacity addition.

BHEL’s contribution of nearly 60% of the total power generated in the country bears testimony to the superlative performance of its equipment.

8) Which Railways has declared rail routes in Rajasthan as Green Corridors?

a. Northern railwaysb. Western railwaysc. North western railwayd. Central railway

The government had earlier launched a scheme to distribute subsidised CFL bulbs and LED lights, which helped in saving energy worth about INR 200 crore and the present initiative is an extension of that scheme.

UJALA was an integral part of energy conservation initiative of the state government and had been very successfully adopted by the people of the state.

Explanation: National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC), India’s leading provider of integrated commodity and collateral management services of agri-commodities announced appointment of Maninder Singh Juneja as the CMD.

Juneja joined True North (erstwhile India Value Fund Associates) in December 2016 as the managing director which owns 100 per cent of NBHC.

Juneja takes over from Anil Choudhary, founder MD & CEO, NBHC, who will continue to associate with NBHC as an executive vice-chairman in the company.

Juneja was previously associated with ICICI BankBSE -1.53 % as senior general manager.

The changing agriculture and banking policies paradigm is creating new opportunities in terms of being able to serve farmers.

The new CMD aims to take NBHC forward, build synergies and craft linkage with other financial services, create value.

Explanation: Indian-origin South African billionaire Iqbal Surve has been appointed as chairperson of the country’s BRICS Business Council.

This has underlined the need for strengthening trade ties with countries like India and China.

Straight after his appointment by the South African government, Surve, headed to New Delhi for the mid-term meeting of the Brics Councils from other countries in the bloc – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

He highlighted importance to strengthen ties with China and India.

Surve, the chairperson of Sekunjalo Group and Independent Media, has interests in media, technology and healthcare.

He is a founding member of the BRICS Business Council and the Clinton Global Initiative; he additionally serves on a number of multi-lateral institutions and global organisations.

Surve served as the first chairperson of the World Economic Forum Global Growth Companies Advisory Board and vice chairperson of the Global Agenda Council for Emerging Multinationals.

He is a participant member of the G20 meeting and serves on B20 Task Teams as well as the Unga private sector forum.

BRICS Business Council: Know More

BRICS BUSINESS COUNCIL

The BRICS Business Council was established during the Fifth BRICS Summit held on 26th - 27th March 2013 in Durban, South Africa. The objective of creating the council was to constitute a platform which will:

Promote and strengthen business, trade and investment ties amongst the business communities of the five BRICS countries;

Ensure that there is regular dialogue between the business communities of the BRICS nations and the Governments of the BRICS countries; and

Explanation: Union Cabinet has approved the ratification of 2 fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization concerning Child Labour.

These are the Minimum Age Convention (No. 138) and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No. 182).

These conventions will now be legally binding.

Minimum Age Convention: No 138

This is concerned with the minimum age for admission to employment

It has been ratified by 169 countries so far.

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention: No 182

It is concerned with the prohibition and immediate action for elimination of the worst forms of Child Labour.

It has been ratified by 180 countries.

For both strategies, GOI has adopted a multi pronged strategy. This includes the project based approach as well as stringent legislative measures to address concerns pertaining to child labour in the nation.

The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 completely prohibits children employment below 14 years in any occupation or process.

Recent initiatives taken by Government to eradicate child labour also needs to be maintained for elimination of child labour for attainment of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

ILO: Know More

It was established in 1919 as an agency of the League of Nations.

It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

India is a founder member of the ILO.

Currently, it has 187 members.

The principal means of action in the ILO is the setting up of International standards in the form of Conventions, Recommendations and Protocol.

So far India has ratified 45 Conventions, out of which 42 are in force.